Nature Versus Nurture, Part Two
by RudeOuijaBoard
Summary: Kakuzawa puts a plan in motion to recapture Lucy, as well as his own Diclonius son, who has arrived in Kamakura with his adoptive mother. As Nyu's horns begin to grow back, Nana worries that Lucy may soon return, and draw attention to her and the people in her life. Rated M for violence, language, and sexual content.
1. Chapter 1: Snow

**Nature Versus Nurture is a two part story that picks up where the anime left off, and incorporates some of the elements from the manga. Part two takes place in Kamakura, and focuses on the Maple inn residents, as well as Lucy's half brother and his adoptive mother, who have come to Kamakura looking for answers. Meanwhile, Director Kakuzawa prepares to make his big move to capture Lucy and her brother.**

**Just a reminder, the Male Diclonius is indeed the same one from the manga, just with more character development and 'screen time,' so to speak.**

**It goes without saying that if you haven't read part 1, you probably should. Reviews are welcome if you want to leave them.**

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Nature Versus Nurture, Part 2

Chapter 1

Snow

"PAPA!"

Nana woke up sweating and screaming. She had dreamed about something she had tried to put behind her for half a year now; the death of Kurama, the closest thing she had to a father. He had died in an explosion on a bridge six months ago, along side another Diclonius, Mariko, his one true daughter. She had missed him deeply, but thought she was getting over it with time. Until now, at least.

"Nana?"

Nana looked over to see Mayu kneeling down beside her. She wore a look of concern.

"Are you okay, Nana?" Mayu asked. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yes," Nana said. She wiped away a tear. "I'm okay, though."

"Are you sure?"

"Mmm hmm."

"Okay then," Mayu said. She stood up and walked toward the hallway. "Breakfast will be ready soon. Please get ready and come down."

"Okay." Nana said. "Isn't it Nyu's turn to make breakfast?"

"Yes, it is."

As Nana stood up, she felt a tickle in her nose, and sneezed a second later.

"Geez," she said, wrapping her arms around her sides. "It's so cold." She walked downstairs and entered the dining area. "Good morning," She said.

"Good morning," Yuka said.

"Morning, Nana," Kouta said.

"Good morning," Nozomi said.

Everyone was sitting around the table, their legs warmed by its kotatsu. Nana took a seat and indulged herself in the warmth of the blanket as well. The far door was open, the yard in full view. Snow was coming down heavily. Cold air blew into the house.

"Ahh," she sighed. "So warm!" Nana looked at everyone around the table. Mayu was sitting next to her, with Wanta sitting in her lap.

Nozomi was sitting next to Yuka, studying a school book. She had come over to the inn almost every day for the past six months, either to study or practice her singing, or sometimes both. Since her exams were drawing near, she had not gotten much sleep lately, and looked very pale as a result. Kouta sat patiently across from the two older women.

Having lived at Maple Inn for so long, Nana eventually figured out that Yuka was very much in love with Kouta. Even now, Nana noticed Yuka stealing glances at him. She had tried many times to get closer to him, but he always seemed to keep himself a distance from her whenever she did. Nana soon figured out that Kouta loved someone himself, but it wasn't Yuka.

"I'm sorry for the wait," Nyu said as she walked into the room. "Breakfast is ready." She was carrying a tray with plates of smoked fish.

Ever since Nyu lost her horns, her darker "Lucy" side had not resurfaced once, though there were a few close calls whenever she would hit her head on something. Nana could not figure out why, but it seemed to her that whenever Lucy came close to returning, she'd immediately vanish again. It was as if she did not want to come back, though Nana did not understand why.

"Fish was cheap," Nyu said, "so I bought a lot of it yesterday."

In the time she has been back, Nyu's vocabulary had improved considerably. In addition to this, the loss of her horns had made it easier for her to move around in public without drawing attention.

"It looks delicious Nyu," Kouta said, smiling. He picked up his chopsticks, and and began eating it happily.

Nana did not understand much of the world, having lived in that horrible place most of her life, but it did not take a genius to see that Nyu was the one Kouta was in love with. It was even more obvious that Nyu was in love with him. For reasons she could not fathom though, Kouta kept shrugging off her very obvious advances. Nana could tell that he wanted to return her affections, but it was as if he was waiting for something.

"The snow just won't stop, will it?" Nyu asked, looking outside.

"No it won't," Kouta agreed. "It's lovely to look at though."

"Yes," Nyu said. "It's so beautiful."

"You know," Yuka said, "When spring comes this year, it will have been a full year since we came to live here."

"Really?" Kouta asked. "Has it been so long already. It's amazing how time flies sometimes."

"Not to mention how much Nyu has changed," Mayu said.

"What do you mean?" Nyu asked, blushing slightly.

"Are you serious, Nyu?" Kouta said. "When we first met, you could only say your own name."

"I...I guess that's true," Nyu said.

"I'm just grateful that you can speak coherently now," Yuka said.

"Me too," Kouta said.

_He wants Nyu all right, _Nana thought. _So why doesn't he just tell her how he feels? _

After everyone was finished with breakfast, they all scattered around the house to get ready for school. Since Nana did not attend school, she went out onto the porch to look at the yard. The sight of it made her grateful that she was living in such a beautiful place with such nice people. With that thought in her mind, she hoped deep in her heart that Lucy would not return. If she did, then the people from the institute would come for the Diclonius queen, and probably Nana as well. If that happened, then Mayu and the others might get hurt, or worse.

"Nana." The silpelit turned to Yuka, who was dressed for her day at college. "Since we're gonna be gone all day, could you keep an eye on the house?"

"Of course," Nana said. Mayu walked into the room.

"And keep an eye on Wanta," Mayu said.

"I will."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Bando creaked open the door to the small shack he had been camping out in since he ran out of money.

"Oh, give me a break," he groaned. "Is it snowing? God dammit, it's cold!"

He stepped out onto the beach, and took a deep breath. He stared out into the ocean.

"Where are you, Lucy?" He said. "I'll never know peace until I make you pay!'

"Excuse me," a soft voice said to his left. He looked over and saw Mayu, the girl who tended the wounds that Lucy had given him during their first battle. "I brought you some more food today."

"Oh great," Bando muttered. The girl handed him a couple of small boxes containing food.

"It's Miso soup and rice balls," she said.

"I already told you," Bando said. "I don't need your help."

Mayu did not say anything. Bando opened up the boxes, and began eating the miso soup, and looked up at the teenager.

"Why are you helping me, anyway?" Bando asked.

"I know what it's like to live homeless," Mayu said. "I know that it isn't easy, so I wanted to help."

_Fuck! _Bando thought. _This is pathetic. Being pitied by some brat. _

"Anyway," Mayu continued, "I guess that the woman with horns hasn't shown up yet?"

"Ya think?" Bando snarled, "If she had, I wouldn't be hanging around here anymore."

"But you've been waiting here for half a year," Mayu said, "Why are you so sure she'll come here?"

"This beach is the only clue about her. I know she will be back here one day."

_This man is so stubborn, _Mayu thought. _I don't know how much longer I can keep Nyu away from here._

"I have to ask you, Mr. Bando," Mayu said, "Why is it so important that you kill this girl?"

"Are you kidding me?" Bando exclaimed, holding up his prosthetic hand. "Look at what she took from me! Killing this bitch is all I have now!"

It was not just his hand and eyes he was angry about, but the fact that he was infected with the Diclonius virus. Despite his antisocial streak through life, Bando had once dreamt of being a father, but thanks to Lucy, the only kids he could have now would be little horned freaks of nature like her. Even if he wanted to give up the hunt for her, he could never go back to the Special Assault Team now, or anywhere else. If he did, the government would have him castrated to prevent any further silpelit births.

"You don't have anything else to go back to?" Mayu asked.

"No."

"You don't have any friends or family?"

"No family," Bando said. "No friends."

"No girlfriend?"

Bando's heart skipped a beat at the question. He thought back to a news broadcast he saw months ago regarding a shootout in Nagoya. A woman was being chased by a large number of gunmen across the city, protecting a child. He snapped himself back to reality quickly.

"No." He said. "Don't you have school or something?"

"OH!" Mayu shouted. "Your right!"

Bando went back into the shack and finished his meal, still thinking about that woman from the news.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Later in the evening, everyone returned from school, much to Nana's relief, as the boredom was starting to get to her. As soon as Yuka got home, she got to work making dinner, while Nyu went to take a bath. Kouta sat down at the table across from the silpelit, studying for an upcoming biology exam.

"Excuse me, Kouta," Nana said. The boy looked up at her. "But I want to ask you something."

"What's that?" Kouta asked.

"Do you love Nyu?"

Kouta blushed slightly.

"Uh...of course. She's a very good friend."

"No, that's not what I mean," Nana said. "I mean...LOVE love."

Kouta turned redder, and looked around the room, making sure that Yuka or Nozomi were not around.

"Why do you ask?" He said with just a hint of irritation in his voice.

"Because of the way you look at her," Nana said.

Kouta looked around the room again.

"Maybe...I do," He finally said. "Again though, why do you ask."

"I am just confused. If you love her, why don't you tell her?"

Kouta took a deep breath and gathered his thoughts. "Look...it's...complicated."

"Because of Yuka?"

"No. Well...no. That's only a small part of it, but the main reason...It's not something I can explain...in a way that you would understand."

"But..."

"Look," Kouta interrupted. "For now, let's just say...I'm waiting for the right moment."

Nana thought about this, and decided to accept Kouta's answer for now.

"Okay." She said.

Almost half an hour later, Yuka came in with everyone else and sat food on the table. Nyu sat next to Nana, her hair still moist from her bath. Nana looked over to Kouta, who stole a glance at the older Diclonius sitting beside her. Then she looked over to Nyu. As she turned to look down at her dinner, she did a double take, as she noticed something about Nyu. She could see a small nub on the side of her head. It looked like a very tiny horn.

_It's growing back! Her horns are growing back!_

This fact led her to an unpleasant thought.

_If her horns come back, will Lucy come back too?_

Nyu caught sight of Nana looking at her. The silpelit quickly turned her attention to her dinner, and began eating. After the meal, almost everyone had gone to their separate rooms to study for their upcoming exams. Nyu had volunteered to wash the dishes, and Nana decided to help her.

As she scrubbed a bowl, she took an opportunity to look on the right side of Nyu's head this time. Just like the left side, there was a small horn growing near her temple.

_Not good, _She thought. Once the dishes were done, Nana went to take a bath of her own. After that, she decided to go to bed early.

As she lay in her futon, the same thoughts kept going through her mind.

_Please Lucy. Don't come back. I love this place, and the people here. I don't want to lose any of it. I don't want any of them to get hurt. Please, just stay as Nyu. _

She spent hours lying there, praying that her happy life would not end. She eventually succumbed to her drowsiness, and at a fortunate moment, for had she remained awake for a few more seconds, she would have sensed the arrival of another Diclonius.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

At eleven at night, a train arrived at Enoshima station. As soon as the doors opened, two people disembarked from a forward car, each carrying a duffle bag. One was an adult woman, the other, a boy, who appeared to be ten years old. They were both tired, the boy more so than his adoptive mother, as he had already been sleeping by the time they had arrived. The woman looked around. As they walked off the train, she spoke.

"Fuck a duck," Momo exclaimed, "It's freezing!"

"And then some," Linus said through a yawn. He shook his head in an effort to ward off his sleepiness.

As they left the train station, Momo Kuroki scanned the surroundings, which were illuminated by street lights, and the glow from the quarter moon.

"Wow," she said. "This place is really different in the winter."

"Remind me," Linus said, "How long ago has it been since you've been here?"

"Twenty years," Momo said. "Fun vacation. I still remember it well and I can promise you, the summer is much nicer."

"I believe it," Linus said. He placed his hand on his blue ushanka hat and rubbed his temple. "It least my horns are all warm and cozy."

"Okay," Momo said, "Let's go find a cab."

Linus looked at his wristwatch. "Geez, it's so late."

"We'd have gotten here sooner if it weren't for that freakin' weather delay on the train."

"Yeah," Linus said, "That was not fun." He let out another big yawn.

"Stop that," Momo said as she started yawning. "That's contagious."

"Sorry."

They walked east, keeping their eyes peeled for a taxi. After walking three blocks, one came along and Momo flagged it down. When they entered, Momo directed the driver to go to the Zen Vague hotel. As they rode on in the night, Momo eventually noticed that Linus was holding his nose.

"Something wrong?" Momo said.

"Nothing," he said.

The taxi pulled up in front of the hotel, and Momo payed the driver. Once he drove off, Momo saw that there was a good view of the ocean from that spot. She gazed out at the moonlight reflected on the water's surface.

"What a sight," Momo said. Eh, Linus? Linus?" She looked to her son to find him inhaling deeply.

"Something is wrong with you," She exclaimed.

"No," Linus said. "No, not me. It was that cab driver. I didn't want to say anything in front of him, but he smelled terrible."

"Really?" Momo said. "I didn't smell anything."

"That's hard to believe. He smelled like...like garlic. A lot of garlic."

"Yikes. Glad I didn't smell that," Momo said. "Well, bad smells aside, what's say we go in and get some sleep?" Linus let out another big yawn, then Momo did too.

"That's a good idea," Linus agreed. "I think I'll sleep in in the morning."

"Yeah."

They walked into the hotel and spoke to the concierge.

"Hello," Momo said. "I have a room reserved for two."

"What's the name?" The concierge asked.

"Kuroki." The desk clerk typed away on his computer.

"Yes, Miss Kuroki" he said. "I have you down for room five. Here's your room key."

"Thank you," Momo said, taking the key. "Come on, Linus."

Upon entering the room, they both pulled their hats off and sat their duffle bags in the corner. They both immediately went to the closet and removed a pair of futons, laying them out. While Linus went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and relieve himself, Momo unslung her Kendo sword bag from her back and lay it parallel to her bed. She pulled her Grand Power K100 handgun from her jacket and placed it under her pillow.

Linus soon came out of the bathroom, and gave his mother a hug before going to bed.

"Good night, Mom," he said.

"Good night, kiddo," Momo said. She gave the Diclonius a quick kiss on the forehead, and he laid down on his futon. Momo removed her black leather jacket and went to the bathroom to do the same things her son just did. Once she was through, she saw that he was already snoozing away. She lied back in her bed, going over the options of how to proceed with this plan of theirs. As she fell asleep, one other thought ran through her mind.

_I wonder if Saori still lives around here. When this is all over, I should look her up and say hi._


	2. Chapter 2: Telepathy

Chapter 2

Telepathy

Nana did not wake up that morning expecting that anything unusual would happen that day. She ate breakfast with everyone, who got ready and left for school afterward. She spent an hour playing with Wanta, keeping herself occupied. After the dog wore himself out, she decided to put on a coat and play around in the snow. She felt imaginative that morning, and started gathering up snow with her vectors. She bunched it up and made a snowman. She pulled out Kurama's old necktie, and wrapped it around the neck of the snowman as best she could.

"I wish you were still here, Papa," She said. She gave the snowman a hug and went back into the house to warm up. She made herself some hot chocolate the way Yuka showed her how to do it, and sat it down on the dining room table. She blew on it and took her first sip, and nearly spilled it when she suddenly sensed something shocking; another Diclonius.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

When Momo woke up late that morning, she looked over to see her adopted son still snoozing peacefully. Judging from how deeply asleep he appeared to be, she had about an hour or two before he woke up. She got up and removed some clean clothes from her duffle bag, and sat them on the toilet in the bathroom. She stripped off the clothes she wore the previous day, and stepped into the hot shower.

As she rubbed soap over her body, her hand ran over the ugly scar on her left shoulder. It instantly brought back the horrible memories of the man she had come to Kamakura to find, the unknown monster who had raped, tortured, and murdered her little sisters five years ago, and who returned only five months ago to try and take Linus away from her. After her second encounter with him, she suspected that he was a member of the Kakuzawa family, or at least working for them.

The scar on her shoulder came from the pedophile's weapon, the most inhumane weapon she had ever encountered. It was a crossbow that fired a spiked iron ball coated in a neurotoxin that inflicted horrible pain. Both she and Linus were hit by it.

_I'm closing in, you evil...thing_, she thought, rubbing her scar. _This time, you won't get away from me. _

She soon stepped out of the shower and stood in front of the mirror. She rubbed another scar, this one on her face; a long cut caused by a sniper's bullet grazing her. It ran along the right side of her face next to her eye. Had Linus not deflected the bullet with his vectors, it would have gone right through her forehead. The scar always reminded her of how close she came to certain death.

She dried herself off, put on her clean clothes, left the bathroom, and picked up the kendo bag laying next to her bed, the pistol under her pillow, and a large fanny pack from her duffle bag. She sat the pistol on the round black table at the front of the hotel room, and removed her favorite weapon from the kendo bag, a custom Benelli M3 super 90. The shotgun was to her as a katana was to her samurai forefathers; an extension of her soul. She sat it down on the table, and opened the fanny pack, which held a large quantity of shotgun shells.

She counted and sorted the various kinds of shells she brought with her. She had seventy two twelve gauge steel buckshot shells, her most basic ammunition. Other kinds were special types, mostly non lethal kinds. She had ten flechette shells, which she made herself, a dozen rubber slugs, seven beanbag rounds, nine shells of rubber buckshot, twelve dragon's breath shells, (her personal favorite), and half a dozen steel slugs. For her pistol, she brought thirteen magazines, each containing fifteen nine millimeter rounds, and a suppressor.

_Why do I get the feeling I should have brought more slugs? Eh, maybe I'm just being paranoid. _

She turned when she heard a sharp rustling.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The second that Linus woke up, his eyes snapped open, and he shot up into a sitting position. He felt something that he never felt before. He could best describe it as a kind of presence, one that was far away. It was a presence that he did not recognize, but something deep inside his soul knew what it was.

_It's one of us_, The odd voice in his head said. _One of us!_

"Linus? LINUS!"

The boy was startled, and his awareness was forced back to the hotel room. His mother was kneeling in front of him, worry covering her face.

"Mom?" He said.

"Are you okay? You're pale."

"Am I? Oh." His senses turned back to his immediate surroundings, though the foreign presence was still in his mind. He felt clammy under his clothes, despite the room being on the cool side.

"What's the matter?" Momo asked.

"I think I feel something...someone," Linus said.

"Someone?" Momo's face suddenly lit up with recollection, remembering the file regarding his species and their abilities. Though the information was intentionally filtered and limited by Kakuzawa, it covered some of their telepathic abilities, including the one Linus was experiencing at that moment. "Is it...another Diclonius?"

Linus nodded. "I think so."

"What exactly are you feeling?"

"I...It's like a presence or something. Whoever it is, I think it...she is far away."

"She?"

"I assume it's a she. Didn't that file say that all the other ones were girls?"

"Oh yeah, that's right. What else? Can you tell where she is?"

"Hard to say. She's a few kilometers from here...I think."

"You think?"

"I can't really tell. I've never done this before."

"Sorry kid. Just tell me everything you feel."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nana was very confused about this new Diclonius. She was not like any of the others at the research facility. Her presence was not that of a silpelit's. In fact, it was very similar to Lucy's presence, but there was something about it that was completely new. She could not nail down what it was.

Her concern about the new Diclonius caused her to lose focus on her vectors, and her prosthetic legs fell out from under her.

"Whoah!" She landed on her back. Wanta ran up to Nana and licked her face.

"I'm okay," She said. She grabbed her legs with her vectors, reattached them, and sat back up.

She could not get past this new situation. Something within her demanded that she speak to this new Diclonius. She took a deep breath and reached out to it.

_Hello?_ She said in her mind. _Hello? Can you hear me?_

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Wait!" Linus said. "I hear something."

Momo was about to say something, but let him focus instead.

"_Hello?" _A voice said in his head. "_Hello?" Can you hear me?_"

Linus looked around the room. "Do you hear someone talking, mom?"

"I don't hear a thing," Momo said.

"_Hello?" _The voice said again.

Linus hesitated for a second. He held up his hand to Momo, signaling her to wait patiently for a moment, then he answered by focusing hard on his words.

"_Yes," _He said mentally. _"I can hear you." _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nana had made contact. A voice had spoken in her mind. Unlike the late Mariko, this Diclonius did not give off a feeling of hostility. In fact, if it gave off any emotion, it was one of confusion.

"_I can here you," _The voice said. It was a high pitched voice. Nana inferred from it that this new girl was younger than she was.

"_I don't recognize you," _Nana said. _"Who are you? Where did you come from?" _

"_I...am from Nagoya." _The voice replied.

"_Nagoya?" _Nana asked. To herself, she thought: _Why does that word sound familiar?_

"_Nagoya," _The voice repeated. _"It's a city, over three hundred kilometers to the west." _

_That's right,_ She thought. _That's the place on the news where those soldiers chased that woman._

"_What's a kilometer_?"

"_What's a kilometer?" _The voice asked, perplexed at her ignorance. _"A kilometer is...one thousand meters." _

Nana pictured this distance in her mind. Despite her lack of education and ignorance of the real world, basic math was a fairly easy thing for a Diclonius to grasp, given their natural intelligence. All she had to do was think about it. If her vectors were five meters long, then that would be two hundred times her reach. Then she imagined that distance being stretched out over three hundred times.

"_Wow," _She said "_That's really far away!" _

"_Indeed_," The voice replied, _"It took quite a while to get here." _

"_So who are you?" _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"She just asked me who I am," Linus said to Momo. "Do I tell her?"

"Good question," Momo said. She thought for a moment, and came up with an idea. "Ask her if she wants to meet."

"Is that a good idea?" Linus asked. "What if it's that 'queen' Diclonius? The one that killed a lot of people?"

"If it is her," Momo said, "Then all the better. Don't forget, the fucker we're looking for is looking for the queen."

"Ah, good idea. But what if she tries to kill us?"

Momo thought for a second. "...Run like hell."

"_Well?" _The voice said again. _"Who are you?" _

"_Don't you think," _Linus said, _"That names should be something we should trade in person?" _

The voice was quiet for a moment, then responded.

"_Are you saying that you want to meet me?"_

"_Yes." _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nana sipped her hot chocolate with a measure of unease. She was not sure what to do in this situation. On the one hand, she was not sure she should bring a new guest over to the house without Kouta or Yuka's permission. On the other hand, she could not leave the house because she was supposed to watch it. It was still fairly early in the day, however, so it was possible that if she met the Diclonius somewhere close by, she could get back before any of the others returned.

"_If we were to meet," _She finally said, _"Where would it be?" _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"_Hang on," _Linus said, "_Let me get a map._"

Linus stood up.

"Mom," he said, "I need a map."

"Hang on," Momo said. She removed her laptop from her bag and turned it on. After a few minutes, she searched the internet and found a map of the town.

"She wants to know where to meet," Linus said, looking at the computer screen. "Any thoughts?"

"Hmm," Momo said, scanning the map. "How about here? Shugenji temple? Tourism is dead here this time of year, so I doubt they'll be many people there, and it's not far from here."

"Okay." Linus dressed the Diclonius again.

"_How about Shugenji temple?" _Linus suggested. "_Do you know where it is?" _

"_I know where it is," _the voice responded. "_I can meet you there now, if you like._"

"_Okay," _Linus said. "_I guess I'll see you there._"

"She says she's going to head there now," Linus said to Momo."

"Well then," Momo said, "You'd better get fresh clothes on. We can come back and shower afterward."

"What's the hurry?" Linus asked.

"I'd prefer to get there first so I can find a place to hide. It would probably be better if you talk to her, and I cover you from the bushes or something."

"Okay, then," Linus said. He got up and put on fresh clothes and his Ushanka. He took a moment to brush his teeth and comb his hair though. Since it was his first time meeting another Diclonius, he wanted to look presentable.

"I'm ready to go," he said as he put on his blue ushanka.

"So am I," Momo said as she put on her own red ushanka and shouldered her kendo bag. She put on her fanny pack and her black leather jacket loading the latter's pockets with some of her special shotgun shells, as well as her pistol.

"Please don't shoot her unless you're certain she's gonna hurt me," Linus said.

"Trust me, kid," She said. She handed him something that resembled a wrist watch. "Now put this on."

Linus did as she instructed him, strapping it to his right hand. Momo pulled up a GPS display.

"Good," She said. "Signal's clean."

"What's the range again?"

"Four kilometers. Even if someone manages to grab you, they won't keep you for long."

"Good," Linus said.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kakuzawa was sitting in his office as usual, looking over the facility's reports when his phone rang. He answered the phone.

"Yes," He said. The voice that answered him was one of his many contacts.

"Kuroki has arrived in Kamakura," The contact said. "She's checked into the hotel, and she has the boy with her."

"Good work," Kakuzawa said with a grin. He hung up the phone.

"It won't be long now," he said. "Soon, my son, you will be back in my hands, along with your queen. Now it's time to mix things up a little bit."

Kakuzawa picked up the phone, and dialed the cell phone number of The Hunter.


	3. Chapter 3: Smell

Chapter 3

Smell

Momo and Linus left the hotel and made their way to Shugenji temple, where the boy would meet one of his own kind for the first time. Momo was looking forward to this meeting, especially if it would get her one step closer to her target. Linus was eager, as well as nervous. If this Diclonius was indeed the queen, and proved to be as hostile as her reputation suggested, then he had no idea how bad it would get.

The pair were a quarter of the way to their destination when they passed by a man that Linus could not help but notice. Momo saw her son looking back at him with a sour expression.

"What's wrong?" She asked. Linus looked up at her.

"You didn't smell that?" He said. "It's that garlic smell again. Like with the cab driver."

"Again? I didn't smell a thing."

"I can't imagine how that's possible," Linus said indignantly. "It's a powerful stink!"

"Well, I didn't smell it."

After a moment, Linus disregarded it. Less than five minutes later, the Diclonius picked it up again.

"Okay, time out mom," He said. Momo stopped and turned to see Linus walking up to another passer by. "Excuse me sir?"

"Yes?" A man said, turning around to address the inquiring child. Linus beckoned his mother over.

"What are you doing Linus?" Momo asked.

"Smell him, Mom, and tell me he doesn't stink," Linus said.

"Excuse me?" The man said.

"Linus..." Momo began.

"Come on, Mom," Linus insisted, "Please humor me."

Momo shrugged, and walked up to the man. "I'm sorry about this sir." She leaned over and sniffed him. The man blushed somewhat, apparently finding her attractive. "Sorry, Linus, but I'm not smelling anything." The man sniffed himself, suddenly insecure.

"You can't be serious," Linus said, "He stinks so bad, Dracula wouldn't get within a mile of him!"

"I am so sorry sir," Momo said, backing up, "My son has been smelling garlic lately. I don't know what's gotten into him."

"Uh...that's okay," the man said. He turned away and continued his journey to wherever he was going.

"Real tactful, kiddo," Momo scolded.

"Well I'm sorry," Linus snapped, "but he stank like crazy. He smelled so bad, it made my spine tingle."

"Look, we got stuff to do," Momo said, "so let's forget the weird body odor for now, and get to the temple."

Linus looked like he was about to argue the point, but relaxed and relented. "Okay, Mom. But I'm not imagining things."

They continued their journey to the temple. Linus picked up the same stench on four other people on the way there, but kept his mouth shut the whole way. Momo could tell he was smelling it anyway, given the sour face he kept making. They eventually arrived at the front gate of the temple, which was wide open.

"This is the place," Momo said. "Is she here, yet?"

"Not yet," Linus said, looking to the north west. "She's that way somewhere, but getting closer. I think we have a few minutes before she arrives."

"Good." Momo led him inside and they soon stood before the temple itself.

"Been here before?" Linus asked.

"Once," Momo said. "My parents and I were sightseeing, and stopped by here." She looked around.

"So what do you need me to do?" Linus asked.

"That's easy. Find out what she knows. I'll be nearby, listening."

"Gotcha." Linus said. "I'm really nervous though." He blew his breath into his hand and brought it to his nose. "Am I presentable?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nana stood in front of the temple gate, her hands in her coat pockets. The Diclonius was already here, waiting for her.

_What am I doing,_ She thought. _What if this is a trap? What if it's the people from the facility?_ _No, it can't be. If she was from there, I would recognize her. But could she have gotten...captured after Papa got me out of there? And why is her presence so...different? Something about her makes my heart race._

After pacing in front of the gate for several minutes, she made up her mind to enter. She stepped inside and walked toward the temple very cautiously. She stopped in her tracks eight meters from the temple when she saw movement behind some tall snowy bushes.

"H-Hello?" She said. "Hello? I'm...here. Are you here?"

The movement behind the branches increased.

"Hello?" Nana said again.

"H-Hi," A voice said from behind the branches.

"Could you please come out?" Nana requested. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The Diclonius peaked from behind the bush. She was wearing a fuzzy blue hat, and her eyes were crimson, much like Lucy's were. As she stepped into full view, Nana's eyes widened, and she immediately saw why her presence was so different.

"Y-You're..." She stammered. "You're a...a...a boy!"

"Um...yes." The boy said.

Nana stood there, her mouth agape. Judging from his size, the boy was a bit younger than she was. Her face flushed somewhat, as she found the inquisitive look on his face rather...cute. He was wearing a brown leather jacket, blue jeans, and black snow boots. The blue hat he wore looked very cozy.

"Hello?" The boy said.

"I'm sorry," Nana said, "I've...Are you really a Diclonius?"

"What do you...?" The boy began. He pulled the blue hat off of his head, revealing the familiar horns of her species. There was no doubt now that he was one of her kind. Nana removed the ribbons on her head, showing him her own horns. His mouth opened with some surprise.

"Wow..." She said, "It's just...I've never seen a boy Diclonius before. I didn't even know they were real. My papa never told me about any."

"Your papa?" The boy asked.

"Never mind," Nana said, shaking off the surfacing memory of Kurama's death. She took a step toward the boy. He looked like he was about to step backward, but he forced himself to stay put. He was as nervous as she was. Nana held out her hand to him. "My name's Nana." The boy looked at her hand and took it.

"My name is Linus," He said. He smiled at her, and she felt her heart flutter at how adorable he was. She lost focus on her vectors again, and her prosthetic arm popped off. The boy stared at the arm he was holding. His face went pale, and his smile was replaced by a look of horror. He let out a shocked squeal.

"Oh no," Nana said, embarrassed. "I'm sorry." She took the limb from him with her other hand and put it back into her right stump. "It comes off if I'm not paying attention."

Linus stood there for a second, then fell down on his backside.

"Are you okay?" Nana asked him.

"Am I okay?" Linus asked, "Are YOU okay?"

"Yes, I'm okay."

"Why did your arm come off?"

"I...lost my real arms...and legs a long time ago. Now I have to use these."

"I'm...I'm so sorry," Linus said.

"It's okay," Nana said. "I am used to it."

"I uh...I have to confess," Linus said, putting the girl's arm out of his mind, "I have never met another Diclonius before."

"Really?" Nana said, "Then there are no other Diclonni in your city?"

"No," Linus said, climbing to his feet. "This is a completely new experience for me." He looked up at Nana, and blushed somewhat. Nana blushed as well.

"I see," Nana said. "So you live by yourself?"

"Oh no," Linus said. "I live with my mom and the rest of her family."

"Your mom?" Nana asked. She looked around. "Where is she?"

"She's...not far," Linus said.

"Well, what did you come here for?"

"My mom and I are looking for somebody."

Nana suddenly felt apprehensive.

"Really? Who are you looking for?" She asked.

"It's a bit of a long story," Linus said. "Let me ask you something. Are you the 'queen' Diclonius?"

_Oh no,_ Nana thought. _I was afraid of that. He's here for Lucy._

"No I'm not," She said. "So you're here for Lucy?"

"Lucy?" Linus said. "That's her name?"

"The queen's name is Lucy," Nana affirmed. "If you're looking for her, I urge you to stay away from her."

"Why?" Linus asked. Nana pulled off her prosthetic arm again.

"Because she's the one who did this to me. She cut off all of my limbs, and if you try to fight her, she might do the same to you." Linus's face turned pale again, and he gulped.

"Uh, to be clear," he said, "I'm not actually looking for Lucy."

Nana was a bit surprised by this statement.

"What?" She asked.

"You see," he continued, "I'm actually looking for a man who is looking for her. He's a very bad man who killed...some people who were very important to my mother, and then tried to take me away."

Nana processed this information.

"I think I see." She said. Then she remembered something from many months ago. "Hey, I know of someone who is looking for Lucy." Linus's eyes widened.

"Really?"

"Yes," Nana said. "I met him a long time ago. I imagine he's still looking for her right now."

Linus ran up closer to her, making her blush some more.

"Please tell me, do you know where he is?"

"Um, the last time I saw him," she said, "he was on the beach. I think he might still be around there, looking for her."

"What is he like?" Linus inquired.

"Well, he's big and rude, vulgar, and he carries a large gun. He didn't tell me his name, but he really wants to find Lucy."

"That could be him," Linus said, excited. He abruptly hugged Nana, taking her by surprise. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Nana's heart raced, and her arms fell off again. "Oh, whoops."

"D-Don't worry about it," Nana stammered. She picked up the arms with her vectors and reattached them. "It's okay."

"You might have saved me a lot of searching," Linus said. "You said he's at the beach?"

"I think so," Nana said. Linus bowed to her.

"Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome," Nana said. Then something occurred to her. "Oh no, what time is it?"

Linus looked to his wristwatch.

"Um, It's half past twelve," Linus said.

"Oh good," Nana said. "It's okay then. Look, I have to get back home. If my...family finds out that I left, they'll be very upset."

"Oh," Linus said. "Okay then. Thank you again."

"You're welcome." Nana bowed, then turned and sprinted away. As she made her way back toward the maple inn, she tied her ribbons back around her horns, and thought about the unique Diclonius she just met.

_I can't believe it. Boy Diclonni really do exist. He's really looking for that guy on the beach? I hope that he is stronger than he looks. _

Then a less pleasant thought entered her mind.

_I really hope that he doesn't cross paths with Lucy. There's no way to know what she would do if she met him. _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Once Nana was a good distance away, Linus gave a sharp whistle. Momo popped up from the pile of snow she was lying prone under, her shotgun in hand, and got to her feet. She patted snow off of her, and walked up to her son.

"That went well," She said.

"Did you hear us okay?" Linus asked. Momo slid the shotgun back into the kendo bag.

"I heard," she said. "She may not be the queen, but we have another lead thanks to her."

"Yeah," Linus said. "We might be done here sooner than I thought."

"Quite," Momo said. "Plus, I think she liked you."

Linus's face turned red again.

"Anyway," he said, "I guess it's time to go to the beach, right?"

"Yes," Momo said. "And that's is not a sentence you hear very often this time of year."

As they walked out of the temple, Linus scolded himself.

"Darn it!" He said.

"What's wrong?"

"We had those pictures of the guy on your phone," Linus said, "We could have shown them to her."

"Oh yeah," Momo said. "Whoops."


	4. Chapter 4: Beach

Chapter 4

Beach

Linus and his mother decided to walk all the way to Yuigahama beach. Walking through Kamakura brought back many memories for Momo. After crossing a railroad track, she stopped in front of a small parking lot and stared at it.

"What is it?" Linus asked.

Twenty years ago, Momo got into a water gun fight with a large group of boys. She remembered how she had dominated almost all of them by ducking between parked cars, using them for cover, and hosing the boys down with her own large water gun. Thinking back on it reawakened feelings of pride and exhilaration she had when she soaked them to the bone.

"Just remembering good times," Momo said. They resumed their walk to the beach.

Linus had smelled several more pedestrians who were giving off the scent of garlic that, for some reason, only he could smell. He did not say anything to Momo, knowing that she would be no help with it, but the more he smelled it, the more uneasy he became.

_Unpleasant,_ A familiar inner voice said, _Isn't it?_

"Boy, is it," Linus mumbled.

As he passed a particularly strong-smelling individual, his spine shivered even more than it had before. When he looked over his shoulder at the person in question, he caught sight of one of his vectors apparently reaching out to him on it's own, almost causing Linus to panic. He seized control of it and reigned it in before it could touch the man. Fortunately, it was vibrating at such a low frequency, that Momo did not hear it.

_I'll just pretend that didn't happen, _He thought.

"What's wrong?" Momo asked. "You smelling it again, Dracula?"

"Yes."

"Just ignore it. If you smell it enough, maybe you'll get used to it."

"Okay." Normally, Linus would have heeded her advice and relaxed, but instead, he remained vigilant about his vectors whenever he passed another smelly pedestrian.

Forty five minutes after parting ways with the girl Diclonius called Nana, Momo and Linus stood at the edge of the beach.

"Okay, mom," Linus said, "So what's the plan?"

Momo looked left, then right. There did not seem to be anyone standing on the beach, at least no one nearby. Momo formulated a plan of attack.

"Okay," Momo said, pointing to the west, "We're gonna walk that way. You're gonna walk on the beach, and I'm gonna follow up here, where I can keep my eye on you. If...HE, or anyone else shows up and attacks you, I'll pounce on 'em like a puma."

"What if he has the crossbow again?" Linus asked. "My vectors weren't strong enough to deflect that ball last time."

"Hey, I don't like this either, but you're the one who wanted to be the bait," Momo said. "It's a risky job. You want out? Just say so."

Linus took a deep breath, and reached into his jacket pocket. Inside the pocket was his comfort object, a small blue iPod, which he gripped tightly. It's touch brought the horned boy peace of mind.

"No," He said. "I can do this!"

"All right, then," Momo said. "And if he has the crossbow, then...duck."

"Okay." Linus said.

The Diclonius walked down to the stairs, his hand still on the iPod, and stepped onto the sandy shore of Yuigahama. After walking ten meters toward the sea, Linus looked over to see his mother still standing on the sidewalk. He began walking west, and Momo walked parallel to him, watching him like a mother bird.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Bando sat outside his shack, looking over the ocean, going over the end of his last fight with Lucy in his mind, like he did every day.

_That's a real shame, isn't it? _She had said mockingly, once again standing over his beaten form.

_You think you've beaten me? _He had responded. _I'll take you apart with my bare hands! Do you hear me, freak?" _

_You won't kill me, _Lucy said, slamming her foot into his left wrist, pinning it down. _This is the last you're going to see of me._

Bando had tensed, waiting for the finishing blow, which never came. Instead, she turned and walked away.

_Bitch,_ He thought, looking down at his prosthetic hand. _I swear, you'll regret letting me go._

The disgraced SAT officer was buried so deep in the memory, that he had not noticed that a little boy in a blue hat had walked up to him until he was less than a meter away from him.

"What do you want kid?" Bando snapped. The boy took a step back.

"I'm sorry," The boy said, "It's just...for a second there, I thought you were Duke Nukem."

"Oh," Bando said, slightly flattered. The child's face turned somewhat sour for a second, then regained a neutral expression. "Something wrong kid?"

"No," The boy said. Bando noticed that his voice was suddenly more nasal than a moment ago.

_Oh, I get it,_ Bando thought. _I haven't showered in quite a while, so I must smell pretty bad. The kid who brings me food never complained about it though. _

"What do you want?" Bando asked. "In case you didn't notice, beach season's over."

"Oh, right," The boy said as pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. He pressed a few buttons and held its screen up to Bando. It showed a picture of a man in a black hat and trench coat. "I was wondering if you had seen this guy anywhere. I had heard he might be down here somewhere."

"Never seen him," Bando said. "Why? He your dad or something?"

"Good lord, I hope not. He's pure evil."

Bando was a little confused at this answer.

"Evil?"

"Yeah. He's a total sadist. A monster out of your worst nightmares."

"Where the hell does a kid your age learn the word 'sadist?'"

The boy considered the question. "I don't really remember," he said. "So you haven't seen him here, or anywhere else around town?"

"No, kid," Bando said. "I don't spend a lot of time in town anyway."

The kid looked at the shack that Bando was leaning against.

"You...live here?" He asked.

"Got a problem with that, kid?" Bando asked.

"No, it...just doesn't look very comfortable."

"It works!" Bando's rise in volume caused the kid to flinch and step back.

"Okay!" He said. The kid took a breath through his mouth, and stepped forward. "Can I just ask you one more thing? After that, I'll go." Bando took a deep breath, and maintained his patience.

"What?"

"Do you know of anyone named Lucy?"

Bando perked up. "What did you say?"

"Um...Lucy? The guy I'm looking for is..."

Bando did not let the boy finish his sentence. He stood up and began marching toward him. The child began walking backward.

"What do YOU know about that bitch? If you know anything, you'd better start talking! NOW!"

"Look," The boy said, holding his hands up, "I don't really know much about her. All I know is that the guy in the trench coat is looking for her...and I thought maybe..."

"Don't bullshit me!" Bando exclaimed. "If you know anything else, you'd better..." He broke off when he noticed something interesting. This kid's eyes were red, the exact same red as Lucy's eyes. Then he looked at his ushanka, pulled out his desert eagle and pointed it at the kid, who gasped. "Take off the hat, kid!"

"W-What?"

"I said..." The vengeful soldier was interrupted when a rock knocked the gun out of his left hand. His fight-or-flight instincts told him the rock was thrown from above and behind him. He did not turn in time, however, as whoever threw it had jumped onto his back. The assailant's legs wrapped around his torso, arms around his neck, and yanked backward with full force, bringing both of them down. Despite his bulk being on top of the smaller attacker, the latter individual managed to keep a strong chokehold on the former.

"Let me go," Bando wheezed, struggling for life. He managed to force himself into a sitting position, but the attacker held him like a starving boa constrictor held an ocelot. Bando tried crawling forward and reached for his dropped gun, but the boy with the hat ran up and kicked it away from him. "You little..."

Bando's attempts to free himself ended when he ran low on air. The attacker hopped off of him, kicked him onto his back, and jumped on top of him, legs between his head. He was shocked when he finally saw the attacker's face, which wore an expression of surprise similar to his.

"What the...?" The woman said.

"Kuroki?" Bando exclaimed.

"Bando!" Momo yelled.

Then they both spoke simultaneously. "What the fuck are you doing here?! What am I doing here?! What are you doing here?!"

Momo calmed down, but still kept Bando pinned to the ground.

"Well," she said, "This is the last thing I expected to happen today!"

"What?" He asked. "That you'd be sitting on my face again after so..." Momo punched him in the face. "Ow."

"Shut up, you," She demanded, her face slightly red, "There's a child present." Despite getting beaten by the only woman he had ever loved, or perhaps because of it, Bando was happier than he had been in a really long time.

"What did he say?" The kid asked, stepping into view, looking down at the pinned soldier, "I missed it."

"Nothing important," Momo said. She redirected her attention to the man beneath her. "So, Bando, still pointing guns at little kids, are you?"

"C'mon, Kuroki," He said, "It's not what you think."

"What I think," Momo said, "is that I just saw you pointing a gun at my son." Bando's heart sank.

"Your son?"

"Yes! My son!'

Bando processed this.

"So...if he's your son, then who's his father?"

"No idea," she said. "He's adopted."

This statement gave Bando some relief. As far as he could tell, she had not found someone else.

"Oh, I see," he said. "Look, could you please let me up?"

Momo opened her jacket and removed a pistol from it, the same custom K100 she used in the Special Assault Team. "Are you going to behave yourself?" She asked. Bando could tell that she was still angry at him after that one mission, even after so many years. He looked to the kid, then back to Momo.

"Yes," He said, "I'll keep my cool." Momo pointed the gun directly at his forehead.

"Don't. Threaten. My son. Again." She said. She pulled the gun away, then stood up. Bando pulled himself to his feet, and brushed the sand and snow off of him. He walked toward his pistol, but it suddenly lifted into the air on its own, and flew into Momo's hands, causing his jaw to drop. "Thank you, Linus."

_Linus?_ Bando thought.

"You're welcome," the boy said.

"I knew it," Bando growled. "That kid's one of _them_, isn't he?" One of those horned...things."

The kid called Linus wore an offended expression, and pulled off his ushanka hat, revealing his horns, then put it back on. Bando snarled at the mutant child.

"Yes. I have horns," Linus said, "But at least I don't smell like garlic."

"What?" Bando asked. He lifted his arms and smelled himself.

"Him too, kid?" Momo asked.

"Yes. Him too."

Momo walked up to Bando and smelled him, the act making him just a little bit aroused, then stepped back.

"I smell strong BO," Momo said, "but no garlic."

"I'm not crazy," Linus said.

Momo held up Bando's pistol and looked it over.

"Desert Eagle, Mark XIX," Momo said. She ejected the magazine and looked at the ammunition. "Fifty caliber tungsten bullets. You point this at a small child? What's next? You gonna go blow up an orphanage with nine tons of napalm?"

"Okay, Momo..." Bando began.

"That's Kuroki to you," She snapped.

_Yup,_ He thought. _She's still angry. _

"Kuroki," He continued, "There's a good reason for that."

Momo slid the magazine back into the hand cannon. "I'm listening."

"Hey, Mom," Linus said, breathing through his mouth. "Can I suggest something?"

"What?" Momo asked. She bent down a bit, and Linus whispered in her ear. "I suppose we can do that." She walked back up to Bando, and held out the gun to him. He reached for it, but she pulled it back up. "No bullshit?"

Bando sighed. "No bullshit." Momo handed him the gun, and he put it away.

"C'mon," She said, "Let's go get you cleaned up."

"And, so you know," Linus said, "I would have taken my hat off if you had asked me nicely."


	5. Chapter 5: Shared Vision

**Sorry I took so long to post this chapter. This one took a lot of thought, and I wanted to get it right, or at least right enough. I've also been binge playing a new video game, and that took up some of my time. Anyway, here you go.**

**IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII**

Chapter 5

Shared Vision

Nana made it back to the Maple Inn well before anyone else returned home. Luckily, the only negative result from leaving Wanta unattended was a small puddle in the hallway near the bathroom, which she quickly cleaned up. She spent the next couple of hours doing chores around the house to kill boredom, all the while hoping that the boy Diclonius she met earlier was faring well with the man on the beach.

At first, she thought that the man hunting Lucy could not possibly still be down there after all this time, especially in the snow. Even so, she kept a telepathic eye on Linus's presence, which was still strong. She had almost reached the inn when she felt a pang of distress coming from the boy, and had stopped in her tracks on the stone stairs. A moment later, the uneasy feeling was replaced by a more calm one.

After she finished dusting the furniture, she decided to reach out to him again, and make sure that he was alright.

"_Hello," _She said in her mind.

She got a flare of confusion from him, then, _"Oh, Nana. It's you." _

"_Are you okay?" _She asked. _"Did you find the man you were looking for?" _

"_No," _ He replied, _"We found A__man on the beach, but not the one we're after." _

"_We?" _Nana asked. _"Oh, you mean you and your mother?" _

"_Yes." _

"_So where are you now?" _Nana asked.

"_At a restaurant. My mom is talking to the guy from the beach right now." _

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Linus sat next to his mother at a table in a restaurant called Caraway. She was talking to Bando, who sat in a chair across from Momo, eating the tastiest thing he had in quite a while.

After their rough meeting at Yuigahama, Momo and Linus took Bando to buy some fresh clothes, then back to their hotel room, where they let him use the shower. After he got out, Linus went in, since he did not have time to shower that morning. While he did, Bando made some suggestive comments to Momo, indicating the futons in the closet with his head. She responded by narrowing her eyes and pulling out her pistol. Bando confidently pointed out that people in the hotel would hear the gunshot, to which Momo removed a suppressor from one of her jacket pockets. Bando relented.

After Linus finished his shower, the three of them went searching for a restaurant to discuss their respective situations. They eventually came across Caraways, and went in. After their meals had arrived, Momo decided to go first, and explain how she met the child next to her.

_Geez,_ Linus thought, _I thought the shower would get rid of this guy's garlic stench, but it didn't make a dent in it._

While Momo spoke with her ex, Linus conversed telepathically with Nana.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"_Hey,"_ Linus said. _"I just realized that since we can speak mentally, it makes me wonder what else we can do." _

"_What do you mean?" _Nana asked.

"_I want to try something I saw in a movie once." _Linus said. _"Hang on a second." _

For a moment, nothing happened, then Nana's vision was suddenly blurred by strange images, seemingly superimposed on the room she was in. She exclaimed in confusion and terror, and the images quickly disappeared.

"_What happened?" _Linus said.

"_I don't know," _Nana said. "_What was that?" _

"_Wait," _Linus said, "_I think I know what went wrong. Try closing your eyes." _

Nana hesitated, then closed her eyes.

"_Okay,"_ She said. _"They're closed now." _

At first, all she saw was the blackness of her eyelids. Then her eyes suddenly opened, although they were not her eyes, and the place she saw was not the house she was sitting in. She saw the palm of an open hand in front of her. The hand lowered, and she was startled when she saw the man from the beach sitting in a chair across from her.

"_What in the world?" _Nana asked. "_What's going on?" _

"_Cool, I think it worked," _Linus said. _"Right now, you're seeing what I see." _

"_I am?" _Nana asked. _"Amazing." _

Linus moved his head around slowly, and Nana saw that he was sitting in a restaurant. There was a woman sitting in the chair next to him. She was conversing with the beach man, who was eating curry like it was going out of style. He looked back past the beach man, then held up his own hand in front of him, and extended his first two fingers.

"_How many fingers do you see?" _Linus asked.

"_Um, two," _Nana said.

"_Cool," _Linus said. He moved his fingers around in front of him like they were something fascinating. Then he picked up one of his chopsticks and twirled them around with his fingers, as if trying to amuse the girl sharing his eyes.

"Linus?" The woman next to him said, "What are you doing?"

Linus turned to face the woman, who was looking directly at the boy now, giving Nana a clear look at her diamond shaped face. Her eyes were pitch black, as was her hair, which was short, yet thick and shaggy. Beneath her hair, Nana could just barley make out a scar next to her right eye.

"Uh, nothing mom," Linus said nervously.

"Uh huh," She said. "Finish your noodles before they go cold."

"Okay." The woman looked back to the beach man. "Now it's your turn Bando. What happened to you?"

Linus looked down at a bowl of noodles, scooped up some with his chopsticks, and slurped them.

"_Is that your mother?" _Nana asked.

"_That's her," _Linus affirmed.

"_She's very pretty." _

"_Indeed. By the way Nana, There's one other thing I want to try." _The images vanished, and Nana saw blackness again. "_It occurs to me that I could have shown you a picture of the guy we're looking for. Now though, I'll try showing you a quick memory I have of him." _

"_What for?" _Nana asked.

"_Because if he is actually here in Kamakura, then you should know. He's incredibly dangerous." _

An image of a horrible looking man appeared before her. He was tall, and completely dressed in heavy black clothing, and a matching hat and sunglasses. He was climbing out of a closet, pointing a strange looking gun at Linus. He had a very evil grin on his face, which sent shivers down Nana's spine. The image soon vanished, and was replaced by the boy's vision again.

"_Did you see him just now?" _

"_I did," _Nana said. _"He looks horrible." _

"_If you should ever see him," _Linus warned, _"run away. He is a sadistic monster. I'm lucky that I"m just a boy, because he does far worse things to girls. My mother can confirm that." _

The look on that man's face was all the evidence Nana needed to believe that the boy was not exaggerating.

"_Okay," _Nana said. "_I'll keep my eyes open for him, and run if he shows up." _

"_Good," _Linus said.

A sound at the front door alerted the young silpelit.

"Nana," Yuka called. "We're home!"

"_Um, listen," _Nana said. "_My family is home, so..." _

"_Say no more," _Linus said. The images from his eyes suddenly went black, and Nana opened her own eyes. Wanta was sitting on the floor, looking up at her and wagging his tail. _"We can talk another time if you like." _ Linus's presence was suddenly reduced to a distant signal. Nana sighed, and relaxed.

"_I'm glad he's okay," _She thought.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So let me see if I have this straight," Bando said, having finished his curry, "You met this kid in Nagoya, where he was going on a rampage. you calmed him down, took him to a hospital, then adopted him. A month later, this guy," he pointed to the picture on the phone laying on the table, "and a bunch of hired guns show up to kill you and take him away. They chase you all over town, (which I caught on the news, by the way) you escape, and move in with your relatives for several months. Then, four days ago, you hear that this guy is down here, so you and your...kid come down here to get answers out of him?"

"That is the short version, yes," Momo said. "The _very_ short version. Now let me see if I've got your story straight. Your unit was sent after Lucy. You and one other soldier found her on that beach we found you on. She killed your partner, and came after you. She finally cornered you, brutally tortured you, then left. After that, you went searching for her, and eventually found her again, chased her, and got your ass kicked, and spared, again, and you've been hunting for her ever since?"

"Now _that_ is the short version." Bando said.

"Well you look good," Momo said, "considering what I've heard of this girl."

"And I have to say," Bando said, "I was really impressed with your little fight on the news. I just knew that it was you! You definitely haven't lost your touch."

"Let me guess. You recognized Ol' Soupmaker, didn't you?"

"That shotgun of yours is very distinct."

"Fucking news chopper."

"I have to ask. Did you bring her with you?"

Momo nudged her kendo sword bag with her hand, which was leaning against the table between her and Linus.

"Nice," Bando said. "And this is the same kid you were protecting from those mercs?"

"He is." Momo said.

"You do realize what you risked your life to save, right?" Bando said.

"I know what he's capable of, if that's what you mean."

Bando held up his hand, and pulled down his sleeve, revealing its prosthetic nature. Linus gasped, and Momo's eyes widened.

"Ouch," Momo said.

"I know better than anyone what he, and his kind, are capable of," Bando said. "After what that bitch did to me, I know all too well."

"So _that's _what she did to you?" Momo said. Bando took off his sunglasses.

"Yeah. She also broke my other arm and gouged out my eyes. The ones I have now are prosthetic too." Linus cringed at this statement.

"So why didn't she kill you?" Momo asked.

"I don't know, but to add insult to injury, I find out that I've been infected with some virus. Apparently, if I have any kids now, they'll be like this little freak," he pointed at Linus, who wore an offended expression.

"Hey, watch it, stinky...," the Diclonius snapped. Momo placed a hand on her child's shoulder.

"This Lucy girl might have mutilated you," Momo said, "But this little guy saved my life."

"Oh really? And how's that?"

Momo pulled back her hair and showed Bando her scar. He raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"There was a sniper at that mall," Momo said. "If little Linus here had not blocked his shot, then the bullet that did this," she pointed to the scar, then pointed right above the bridge of her nose, "would have gone right through here."

Bando looked at Linus, who flashed him a smug grin through a mouthful of yakisoba, then he looked back to Momo.

"Well Lucy cursed me," Bando said. "After the fight, the higher-ups decided that I'm to be kicked out of the Special Assault Team due to my injuries, and castrated to prevent more of...them from being born."

Momo put a hand over her mouth to suppress her laughter, and Linus's jaw dropped.

"Laugh it up, Kuroki," Bando said, "But after I got this new toy, I decided that I would keep my gonads, and made a run for it. Mark my words, she's going to pay for ruining my life like this."

"So you've been living on a beach in a shack all this time?" Momo asked.

"Well, when you put it that way," Bando said, "you make me sound like a...a..."

"Loser?" Linus said.

"Shut up, you!" Bando said.

"Kid's got a point, Bando," Momo said. "You're not exactly living the high life right now."

The waiter sat down the check on the table, and Momo placed some cash on it.

"What else am I supposed to do, Kuroki?" Bando asked. "All I have left is killing that bitch. Even with these new toys, I can't go back to SAT ever again."

"You should have gotten kicked out of there years ago," Momo said.

A flare of anger shot through Bando, but he surpassed it quickly. It was abundantly clear to him that she was never going to forgive him for that little incident.

"I am curious about one thing, Bando," Momo continued. "Even if the third time is the charm and you manage to finally kill Lucy, what do you plan to do after that?"

"I don't know." Bando said. "I'll figure that out afterward. And what about you Momo? What about this guy? He comes after this kid and you have just as big a mad-on for him as I do for that horned bitch."

Momo's expression soured, and she leaned over to glare at Bando straight in his prosthetic eyes. Even with his yellowed vision, Bando could easily see rage within them.

"He didn't just come after Linus," She growled. "This is the same monster...who killed my little sisters."

Bando felt his own heart skip a beat. He remembered that day well. He and the rest of their SAT unit went to go see Momo at the police station when they heard what happened. Even though she had ended their relationship by this point, Bando still carried a torch for her, and he had never before been so sickened with the world when he saw her sitting in the waiting room with her family, crying, completely submerged in despair. It was not long after that when she handed in her resignation, and moved back to Nagoya to start her life over. Less than a year later, Bando had requested a transfer to the Kanagawa prefecture garrison. Without her there, he felt he should start his life over as well.

And now he was looking at a picture of the bastard responsible for it all.

"Jesus," Bando finally said.

"Losing your eyes and hand," Momo said, "I'm sure that was very painful. But I can promise you, nothing hurts worse than to see your loved ones taken from you so cruelly. I spent the last five years living with a hole in my soul, sleepwalking through life, dragging the weight of my failure with me every damn day. There's no prosthetic for a wounded spirit, Bando. I promise you that."

The waiter finally took the check, and Momo stood up.

"Oh, and let me make one more thing clear," Momo said. "I can't make you...not hate my son or the rest of his kind, and your free to go get yourself killed by Lucy for all I care," She leaned over to him, and pointed to Linus, "but if you _ever_ point a gun at him again, then I'll castrate you _myself! _Do you understand me?"

Bando knew Momo too well to believe that she was bluffing or even exaggerating. He looked over to Linus, who did not wear a smug face this time, but one of discomfort. Clearly, the kid did not enjoy seeing his mother upset any more than Bando did.

"Yeah," Bando growled. "I understand."

"Come on Linus," Momo said. "We're going." The kid stood up and grabbed his jacket, then turned to the door with his mother.

"Momo...," Bando said. She turned back to look at him. "...I mean Kuroki. For what it's worth, I...I hope you catch that son of a bitch."

"Thanks." Momo said. She turned, and walked out of the restaurant with the Diclonius.

"Unbelievable," Bando said. He remembered his encounter with the other Diclonius girl several months ago, the one with the fake limbs. He had told her that her kind were monsters with no place in the world. Now here he was watching another one of them walking out with the love of his life, who had more place in her world than he did. "I've hit rock fuckin' bottom."

Even though he felt that way, he was still somewhat glad that he got to see her again.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Momo walked beside Linus along the sidewalk. The boy could see that his mother was lost in thought.

"Hey mom," he said, "You used to date that guy, right?"

"...Yes," Momo said.

"What did he do to make you so mad at him?" Linus asked. Momo stopped in her tracks, thinking about that time.

"We were both part of the same SAT unit in Osaka," She finally said. "Six years ago, there was a big bank robbery, and many people were taken hostage. Our SAT unit was deployed there to deal with it. I'll spare you the other details, but in the middle of the mission, one of the robbers grabbed a woman and used her as a human shield. Rather than let him walk away, Bando opened fire on the both of them. He gunned down an innocent woman and didn't feel the slightest bit of remorse."

"Good lord," Linus said.

"When I saw him do that," Momo continued, "and the look of sadistic glee on his face when he did it, whatever feelings I had for him evaporated in an instant. He always gave off an eagerness to kill, but I just assumed he was putting on a macho facade. Boy, was I wrong. I continued to work in the same unit as him, but I kept it professional only."

"I'm sorry," Linus said.

"Forget him," Momo said. "He obviously hasn't changed in the least, so he's not worth worrying about. Let's just get back to hunting, eh?"

"Good idea," Linus agreed.

Despite her own words, seeing Bando again brought up feelings she thought she had long buried. Even though she was disgusted by his attitude and ruthlessness, she could not forget the good times she had shared with him.


	6. Chapter 6: Schemes

Chapter 6

Schemes

Early in the morning, Arakawa sat in her office, both eager, and terrified. While Kakuzawa continued scheming to replace humanity with the Diclonius, the species he believed to be a part of, she had schemes of her own to undermine him. She watched with anticipation as the last of the data she had been collecting loaded onto her flash drive. The instant it was finished, she ejected the drive, and pocketed it.

"I have you now," she whispered, "you son of a bitch."

Then of course came what she was terrified of. If Kakuzawa, or any of his underlings, be they his top scientists, Nousou or otherwise, or even the Mercenaries of Guardian International patrolling the halls of the institute found what she had in her pocket, then she was as good as dead. Of course, that was not all she was scared of.

She stood up and opened a cabinet against the wall, and looked at a thermos-like container sitting on the shelf within. The thermos was black with a bright green biohazard symbol on it. Even though the antivirus was nearly complete, she was uncertain that it would be ready before the director unleashed what was in the thermos upon the world.

_There's only one way I can win this,_ She thought. _I have to get back to the university. _

She stepped out into the hallway to find one of the merc guards at the door. For a moment, she thought he was on to her, and that her life was over.

"Kakuzawa wants to see you in his office," the soldier said.

"Oh," She sighed. "Okay." The guard led her to her office. When she got there, she saw some familiar faces. Nousou stood there, as well as Colonel Sokolov, The commanding officer of Hunter Seeker, and the unknown man, a man Arakawa would prefer never to be in the presence of. The director's daughter, Anna, was there as well, standing next to her father's chair bending his desk, wearing her helmet, as she alway did when in the presence of others, as well as her black jumpsuit.

_Poor thing,_ Arakawa thought.

"You are serious?" Sokolov exclaimed. "You want us to go after that bitch again?" Arakawa sensed no anger in the Colonel's voice, but glee. After losing half of his men to Momo Kuroki, she could tell he was eager for revenge. More than likely, the rest of Hunter Seeker wanted to get even as well.

_What idiots,_ Arakawa thought. _If they got their butts kicked before, what makes them think that they can take her now? _

"I am serious," Kakuzawa said. "But be patient Colonel. Before long, we will have the proper weapon for you. With it, you cannot lose to her again."

"I am nothing if not patient," Sokolov said.

"Good," Kakuzawa said. "I will summon you soon. I want your men ready when I do."

Sokolov grinned. "They've _been_ ready for five months."

"Glad to hear it," Kakuzawa said. "Now if you will excuse us Colonel. I have some other things to discuss with everyone else present." The Colonel nodded, and left the room.

"Why are you not sending me after that Kuroki cunt?" The unknown man asked. "I've got a bone to pick with her."

"No," Kakuzawa said. "You forget, that it's you whom she has a bone to pick with."

"I can take her."

"Isn't that what you said last time?" Arakawa asked. The unknown man shot her an angry glare.

"You cannot take her," Kakuzawa said, "Because you blew your chance last time. In fact, you blew both chances I gave you."

"I didn't mess up the first time," The unknown man said.

"Five years ago, I ordered you to kill her. Instead, you decided to have some 'fun' with her younger sisters and leave her alive."

"It was more fun that way. Besides, the result was the same. She left the Special Assault Team, and was no longer a threat."

"How was she a threat before?" Arakawa asked. "She didn't know anything about the Diclonii back then."

"She would have learned about them before long." Kakuzawa said. "Given the high casualty rates of SAT soldiers to the Diclonii, units from other garrisons would have been called in to deal with them sooner or later, hers included, and if she learned of them, her family would have too. She had to go."

"And she did," the unknown man said. "After what I did to her sisters, there was no way in hell that she could have been emotionally stable. I had actually expected her rage to get her kicked out of SAT, but instead she left on her own. Either way, it worked. And now she knows twice the pain that her samurai forefathers, and the rest of humanity inflicted upon ours. As I recall, you were actually very pleased with my work."

"Yes," Kakuzawa said, "until, five years later, the woman in question finds my son in a park, takes him from me, and now _all _of the Kuroki know about the Diclonni anyway, which would never have happened if you had killed her like I told you to."

The unknown man's grin faded.

"And to discuss your second failure," The director continued, "before your failed attempt to capture my son, she, no doubt, assumed that you were simply some random rapist. Now, she knows that you are one of us, and is now forever on her guard, waiting for you. You had the element of surprise, and you squandered it. She is out of your hands now."

Arakawa shivered, and felt great pity for Kuroki and her younger sisters. She was aware of the unknown man's disgusting appetites. No doubt that those poor girls suffered terribly before they died. She could not help but feel somewhat satisfied to see the pervert disheartened.

"Do not worry, though," Kakuzawa said. "I have a new target for you. I want you and Arakawa to search for Lucy." Both the unknown man and the woman scientist perked up.

"Excuse me?" Arakawa said.

"Arakawa, I want you to return to the university. I want you to find the the student who you said was looking for Lucy."

Arakawa's heart raced at her good fortune.

_Lucky!_ She thought. _This is my chance. Not only can I get the thumb drive somewhere safe, but I can search for something to complete the antivirus. Surely the professor must have left something behind I can use. _

"You don't need Arakawa," the unknown man said. "I can find Lucy on my own."

"What!?" Arakawa exclaimed.

"You finished developing the apparatus," the unknown man continued. "With that, and this," The man flicked his wrist, and his crossbow shot from his coat's sleeve, "I can capture Lucy no problem." Arakawa noticed Nousou and Anna tense.

_Apparatus?_

"Now you listen to me," Arakawa said. "I have clues to Lucy's location that you don't!"

"What? Some college kid?" The unknown man mocked.

"I can find Lucy," Arakawa insisted. "I'll find her before you do!" The unknown man grinned sadistically.

"Alright then," he said. "Let's make it interesting. Arakawa, I'll wager you that I find Lucy first, and if I do, then you will work for me as my personal pleasure slave."

"WHAT!?" Arakawa screamed.

"Yes. And you will wear clothes that only cover your nipples."

"You sick bastard! What makes you think that I'd ever...?"

"Hah! I didn't think you had the backbone to take that bet. Or maybe you don't have any clues after all?" Arakawa growled with fury.

"Fine! You're on!" She shouted. "But if 'I' find Lucy first, then you have to cut your own cock off!"

"Okay then," The unknown man said. "It's a bet."

"Now that that is settled," Kakuzawa said, "You both can go to Kamakura tomorrow, and begin your respective searches."

"Good." Arakawa said.

"Fine!" The Unknown Man said.

"Now both of you, get out of my office."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nousou waited for Arakawa and the Unknown Man to leave the room before speaking.

"Director," he said, "Am I wrong, or did you fail to mention to them that Kuroki is in Kamakura as well?"

"No," Kakuzawa said. "You're not wrong. And they don't need to know it."

"But what if Kuroki finds him?" Nousou asked. "He's the one she's looking for after all."

"Then he had better hope he is as skilled as he says. If he is lucky and defeats her, then he will return with my son _and _Lucy."

"And if Kuroki comes out on top, well...given their history, we'll need dental records to identify his corpse. What's more, if she manages to pry any information out of him..."

"Information gained by his word alone," Kakuzawa said, "is not proof. Certainly not enough for the rest of her clan to act on. In addition, if she succeeds, gets the information she wants, and kills him, then she will believe that she has gained the upper hand, and let her guard down."

"And then you will send me for her?" Anna asked keenly, her voice echoing within her helmet. "Send me with Hunter Seeker, and I will kill her, and bring my brother back to you." The girl's vectors vibrated with anticipation.

"No, Anna," The director said. "You will not destroy her. When the time is right, you will destroy the rest of her damn family."

Though he could not see it, Anna smiled within her helmet, which was more challenging than it used to be given her recent disfigurements.

"Nousou," The director said, standing up, "It's time to show me the results of your hard work."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"This is the one you recommend?" The Unknown Man asked the scientist next to him. They stood looking down into a cell, where a silpelit sat chained against the wall.

"Yes," The scientist said, "Number twenty eight is competent enough. She's more obedient than the rest of the silpelits, and for some reason, her vectors have never developed."

"Good," The unknown man said grinning maniacally. "She fits my liking." He pulled up his crossbow and fit a spiked ball onto it. "But before the operation is done, I think I am going to play with her for a while."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Nousou led the director to a large chamber. Within the chamber, nine silpelit clones wearing helmets wandered aimlessly. He led the director inside.

"You are sure that they are obedient?" Kakuzawa asked.

"Absolutely," Nousou said. "These are my first successes, and before long, we can fit the rest of the silpelits with the devices."

"Show me."

Nousou approached the girl's and removed their helmets one by one.

"As you can see," Nousou said, indicating four identical clones. "These four are all clones of number thirty six, the strongest silpelit. I call them Alicia, Barbara, Cynthia, and Diana." He pulled back the bangs of one of the clones, revealing a small circular device implanted into her forehead.

"This is the device?" Kakuzawa asked. Nousou nodded. "I didn't expect it to be so small."

"The prototypes were much larger," Nousou said. "We went through a lot of clones to get them this small, and properly functional."

"And they are completely obedient, are they?"

"They are. No matter how absurd my orders are, they will not disobey me. Or you."

"What about these other five?"

The remaining five clones were different, each with its own face. Kakuzawa recognized a few of them, but the institute had gone through so many silpelits over the years, that he had not managed to keep track of them all.

"These five," Nousou said, "are clones of numbers three, four, six, seven, and nine. Respectively, I call them Ella, Francine, Giselle, Holly, and Ivy."

"Order one of those to come forward," Kakuzawa said. "I want a demonstration."

"Francine," Nousou ordered, "Step forward." The clone of number six obeyed and stepped forward.

"Now one of them," Kakuzawa said. Nousou could see where the director was going with this.

"Cynthia," Nousou said, "Step forward, and stand in front of Francine." The clone of the late Mariko obeyed.

"You know what to do," Kakuzawa said. Nousou nodded.

"Cynthia," he said. "Kill Francine."

Cynthia brought up a vector, and decapitated Francine. The latter's corpse fell to the floor, and blood flew everywhere. The remaining clones did not flinch as they were bathed in their sister's gore.

"Good work, Nousou," Kakuzawa said. "Now we have an even number."

"Sir?"

"These four," Kakuzawa said, indicating the Mariko clones, "are the strongest, and therefore will go with the Guardian troops to capture Lucy when the time comes."

"And them?" Nousou asked, pointing to the other four clones.

"They will go with Hunter Seeker to recapture my son, and kill Kuroki. They may be weaker, but my son's powers will likely be immature. They will be more than enough to subdue him. If, however, Lucy and the boy happen to be together when we strike, all eight can attack at once."

"You have thought this out thoroughly, sir." Nousou said.

"For a plan like this to succeed," Kakuzawa said, "I need to be five steps ahead."


	7. Chapter 7: Childhood Memories

Chapter 7

Childhood Memories

Linus walked down the street, his right hand in his front pocket, holding his iPod. In his left hand, he carried his hat, his horns exposed to the world, and the people passing him.

_I really wish I thought this bait thing through more_, he thought. _This is just unnerving. _

He was coming up on three women who were talking amongst themselves. One of them looked at him, and stopped the other two, who looked at him as well. He wanted to show him the pictures of the unknown man and ask them if they had seen him, but when he tried to flag them down, they stepped around him and moved right past him with disgust on their faces. Linus had encountered many closed minded individuals who were disturbed by his skull mutation, some of them earlier that morning, but this was the first time that he was actually offended.

"Something wrong, kiddo?" Momo said through the earpiece in his right ear. His mother was a distance away from him, keeping out of sight, but watching him closely.

"Nothing," Linus said into the transmitter in his jacket collar. "Just some..."

"Linus, lower your voice," Momo said, "That thing is sensitive."

"Sorry," Linus whispered. "Those ladies back there were really rude."

"I see."

Linus continued walking down the street. After the encounter with Momo's former lover the previous day, they had run out of leads to finding the unknown man, so they had to go with their original plan; walking around in public with his horns exposed, hoping that enough rumor would spread through the town about the male Diclonius to draw the unknown man out.

_Which could take a while_, Linus thought. He and Momo had been walking around Kamakura all morning. They began their search with the areas where the pictures of the unknown man were taken. Two areas had already been checked, and they were looking around the third. Linus turned into a park.

"Hey mom," Linus said, "Can we take a break for a little while? My horns are freezing."

"Sure, go ahead."

Linus put his ushanka back on and sighed with relief at the warmth on his horns. Momo came up beside him, and they sat down on a park bench together.

"You sure are good at staying out of sight," Linus said.

"Thank you," Momo said, "I try my best."

"Do you think he'll come soon?" Linus asked. Momo pulled up the pictures of her target on her cell phone.

"I hope so." Momo said. "And this was the last area he was spotted in."

"Maybe next time, you could ask around instead. I don't think people want to talk to me. Mom?"

Linus looked to see Momo gazing out over the park, apparently daydreaming.

"Mom? MOM!" Momo snapped out her thoughts and looked at him. "Something wrong mom?"

"No," Momo said. "No, not at all. It's just...This park is very familiar to me."

"Really?"

"Yeah..." Momo took a long look around at her surroundings. Eventually, she finally figured it out. "I got it! This is Wakamiya Oji Park! I remember this place!"

"You sound happy," Linus observed. "Is this place important to you?"

"Yeah," Momo said. "This is where I met Saori."

"Sounds like a story," Linus said. "Feel like sharing?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Twenty years ago.

Nine-year-old Momo Kuroki hid in the bushes, waiting for her prey to get closer. An older boy wearing a t-shirt and swim trunks walked by with a water pistol at the ready. He got within three feet of the bushes when Momo sprang up and blasted him with her own water gun, which was surprisingly large for a child her size. The boy screamed in frustration.

"Hah," Kuroki laughed. "Got you good, Takashi!"

Much to the little girl's confusion, a devious grin formed on the soaked boy's face. It was a different reaction he had from yesterday when she got him in the parking lot.

"What are you smiling at?" Momo asked.

Several streams of cold water struck her from behind without warning. She squealed in response to both the unexpected attack, and the cold temperature of the water. The boys who got her all started laughing at her.

"You're out, Momo!" One of them said.

"You guys used Takashi as bait?" She shouted.

"Duh," Another boy said.

"You lose this time," Takashi gloated. "You're out!"

"You're out," The boys chanted. "Better luck next time!"

"Dang it!" Momo said. Since she was out this time, she saw no point in sticking around and started walking away. She turned back to say one more thing. "Laugh it up Takashi, but you're out too!"

"Yeah," Takashi said, "but I...aw."

_Wow, _Momo thought_, They're smarter than I thought. _Even though she had gotten bested in less than ten minutes, she could not help but feel pride that those boys saw her as a big enough threat to team up to take her down. Up until that point, the whole game was basically a battle Royale, everyone trying to hose down everyone else, the last dry kid being the winner. Yesterday, she had won the game, but today, she lost.

_I guess I'll have to think of a strategy for next time. _

She walked several blocks, thinking of a way to get back at them tomorrow. She stopped in her tracks when she heard something sinister in the park she was passing by.

"Come on, babe," A man's voice said. "Don't you want to have some fun?"

Momo turned and saw several figures huddled in the park. She snuck into some bushes and observed. There were four people, apparently teenagers. Three boys were standing around one girl. The girl was clearly annoyed with the boys.

"Will you please leave me alone?" The girl said. "I have a boyfriend."

"So what?" One of the boys said. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him."

_Score!_ Momo thought. _Sleaze balls! How I've waited for this day!_ The little girl readied her water gun and took aim through the bushes.

"Yeah," one of the other boys said. "Come on cutie, we're good lookin' guys. Way better lookin' than that boyfriend of yours."

"Especially me," the larger of the boys said.

"NO!" The girl shouted. The larger boy grabbed her by the wrist, and she struggled. "Let me go!'

"Can't we settle on a kiss?"

Momo pulled the trigger, and hit the large boy in the eye.

"OW!" He screamed. He let go of the girl, and the other boys got tense. She blasted them all with the water gun.

"Goddammit!" The shorter boy cursed.

"What the hell? Ow!'

By the time her gun ran out of water, she had managed to hit all of the boys in the eyes at least once. As they rubbed their eyes, Momo stormed out of the bushes and ran up to them. The teenage girl stepped out of the way, confused at the commotion.

"Man Check!" Momo screamed. She formed a fist, and punched the largest boy in the crotch with all of her might. He keeled over, squealing. She repeated this process with the two other boys. Once they were all laying in the fetal position, she grabbed the teen girl's hand and led her out of the park.

"What on earth?" The girl said.

"Come on," Momo shouted. They ran three blocks before finally stopping to catch their breath.

"Goodness," The teenager said, panting. "What in the world just happened."

"Yes!" Momo exclaimed. She dropped her water gun and held her arms to the sky. "I've done it! I've taken down my first bad guys!"

"Uh, little girl?" The teenager said, "Are you okay?"

Momo turned and looked at the teenage girl. She could see why those boys were so persistent, as she was quite attractive by anyone's standards. She was a few inches taller than average, and had long brown hair and light brown eyes. She wore a black skirt that stopped just above her knee, and a black-and-white stripped shirt.

"Am I okay?" Momo said. "I've never felt better! What about you?"

The teenager stared at the little girl before her. From her perspective, Momo could see why she would be weirded out. A soaking wet nine-year-old girl in a green one-piece swimsuit taking down three teenage boys would be a rare sight to behold.

"I'm...fine," the teen said. "Thank you for that...I think. Who are you?"

"I'm Momo. What's your name?"

"My name's Saori. Thank you again for saving me back there."

"You're welcome Miss Saori."

"That's an awfully big water gun you have there."

"My dad got if for my birthday last year. It's my favorite toy."

"Look...Momo, I'm very grateful for saving me, but I have to ask, why did you do that? Those boys were bad news, and you could have gotten hurt."

"Are you kidding me?" Momo said. "I've been wanting to do that for so long! I just beat up my first jerks!"

"Your _first_ jerks?" Saori asked. "Are...you planning to beat up _more_ jerks anytime soon?"

"Heck yes! When I grow up, I'm gonna be a samurai!"

"A samurai? You mean, like...swords and arrows and stuff?"

"Yeah...well, swords are kind of out of style. I was thinking I'd use a gun or something."

"A gun?"

"Sure. Guns are the norm these days."

"Um, okay. But why do you want to be a samurai?"

"My ancestors were samurai, and samurai fight for justice and honor! They take bad people out of the world and make it better! I wanna stop bad people and make the world good!"

"Well..." Saori said, "That's...you seem very driven."

"Darn right," Momo said. She calmed herself down and she began walking side by side with Saori down the sidewalk.

"But don't you think hitting boys in the...privates is a little harsh?"

"My dad always says 'when in doubt, go for the balls.'"

"Does he now?"

"Yeah. He's teaching me karate, but says that since I'm still so small, I should always go for the weak spot until I get bigger."

"I guess that makes sense," Saori said.

"So what about you?" Momo asked.

"Me? What about me?"

"What are you gonna be when you grow up?"

"Well, I have a boyfriend. When we graduate high school, we're going to get married and start a family."

"Really!?"

"Yes, really. Why is that so shocking to you?"

"Well, my mom says most women go to college before getting married."

"Well, a lot of them do," Saori said, "But not all of the time.

"Hmm."

"Something wrong with that?"

"No, it just sounds...boring to me. No offense."

"None taken. But I think you'll understand when you're older."

"That's funny. My mom says the same thing."

"HEY!" A voice said from behind them. Saori and Momo turned to see the three boys from before behind them. "There's the little bitch now!"

"Uh oh." Momo said.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So what happened next?" Linus asked.

"We ran like hell," Momo said. "We ran for about...twenty blocks before we lost those turds."

"Wow," Linus said. Then he started to laugh. "And you really wanted to be a samurai?"

"I was little kid back then," Momo said. "Little kids always have big dreams. In any case, I grew up to be a SAT officer. That's about as close to a samurai as you can get these days."

"Well with that in mind," Linus observed, "I guess that you made your dream come true."

"Yeah. I also know now that Saori was right. Now that I'm older, I understand that raising a kid isn't as boring as I thought."

Linus smiled and gave his mother a hug. She hugged him back.

"You said you spent most of your time here with Saori, right?" Linus asked.

"Yeah." Momo said. "And the second time we met was total coincidence. My parents and I went to this restaurant called the Maple Inn. It turns out that she had a summer job there. After that, we spent a lot of time together."

"What about after you left Kamakura?"

"After that, we fell out of touch. I had school and training to focus on, and I'd imagine she was busy with her new family. Even after all this time though, I've never forgotten a moment I spent with her."

"It sounds like she made an impression on you." Linus said.

"She did. She's the kindest person I had ever met. I tell you, she makes Mother Theresa look like Al Capone."

"Wow. What about her boyfriend? Did you ever meet him?"

"Just once. I hated him."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He was a real stickler for aesthe...aesthepa...antithes-no. Looks."

"Aesthetics?" Linus asked.

"That's the word. Anyway, he was real nit-picky about beauty and good looks. He took one look at me and told me I needed a hairbrush. He didn't like my shaggy hairstyle."

"What did you say to that?"

"Nothing. I just hosed him down with my water gun." Linus broke out with laughter, and Momo soon laughed too. After they both calmed down, they stood back up and resumed their search for the unknown man.

"I tell you, kiddo" Momo said, "this town seems so much smaller now."


End file.
